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Element 3D - 3D Particle System for AE

So! Kind of surprised it hasn't been brought up here yet...

For those who haven't hear, Video Copilot just released their new plug in, Element 3D. It's a full 3D particle system for After Effects, but you can use it to bring in single models too. It has some powerful animation tools and works completely with lights, cameras and motion blur inside of AE. There are some things it doesn't do that particle systems inside a true 3D program would do, like physics simulation, actual shadows and a few other things. With some careful key-framing though you'll never notice, and it does have occlusion to fake shading. Oh, it also works and renders crazy fast.

We bought it for Invision Media and yesterday was my first day to really get to play with it. Here's a couple of play around pieces I made in just a few minutes:

https://vimeo.com/45984772
password: 3d

https://vimeo.com/46006392
password: 3d

Of course Andrew has some killer examples out there, my stuff was made with a base knowledge of the program haha. Check it out, it's going to revolutionize 3D for lower budgets, considering the plug in is only $150!

http://www.videocopilot.net/products/element/
 
I have all of video co pilots stuff as it can come in useful, optical flares and action essentials 2 are the best. But to me this product is a glorified array modifier that any 3d program can easily do. Granted you have to know a tiny bit of 3d but not a lot. You could teach yourself to do all this stuff that Element 3d could do in a day i bet. Guess it depends how much you hate swapping programs :P
 
I like it because it's all inside AE, AND because it really is crazy, crazy fast. I've played around in Blender before, a little bit in C4D and 3DS Max and it's a different world. Animation isn't as easy as it is in AE. Plus, the stuff I did that took an hour to render in C4D at SD resolution I can now animate and see lighting and textures realtime, and the final render is maybe a few minutes.

I'm sure it's not for everyone, but even if you are a savvy 3D and AE user it'll save you a lot of time rendering between programs AND most likely in the final render. Plus, since again you see lighting and textures in the composition you're a lot less likely to have to re-render, re-import and again re-render the final. Looking at hourly rates vs time saved it pays for itself (for me). :D
 
Yea I can see the appeal for motion graphics it is very quick and intuitive for AE people. One of the problems I can see with it however is overuse in the motion graphics community to the point where it looses value (like alot of video co pilot products). What I mean by that is EVERYONE who has AE is now gona spam stuff they done with this plugin and it could loose the wow factor when stuff starts to look like its repeating. I found this with stuff like pro scores... awesome stuff but its over used so I dont want to use it any more :(
 
Yeah I hear you. I'm pretty particular about how I use my VCP stuff for the same reason. The most generic looking and sounding stock gets used quite a bit, the rest only when it really, really fits and needs it.
 
everyone copies VCP tuts.. I was at a big launch for a full media blitz thing (films, comic, novel) some local big wigs, lots of money flowing.. and the make lead off was a VCP tut EXACT with just different text.. I was kinda shocked!

The value is when I have a problem, and I see how such and such technique I learned with the VCP tools can be used, then I know its right..
 
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